A Royal Gazette reporter, sitting in front of City Hall on Church Street, Hamilton, witnessed 18 motorists talking on their phones during a half-hour period yesterday.

During the observation period, along a small part of Church Street, the reporter saw one man get into his parked car, search for his cell phone and dial a number all while he was trying to drive by the congested and busy bus station.

Also witnessed, were two taxi drivers talking on their cell phones while transporting passengers, one motorbike rider with a cell phone stuffed into his helmet and another with earphones on under his helmet, all of which are distracting, but not yet illegal.

David Minors, Road Safety Council Officer, commenting on why people drive and talk said: “Our culture has gotten us to where we are busy all the time and people feel like they need to multi-task so they are driving and using their cell phones.

“That’s why our new campaign is asking the public to make healthy choices.”

The new campaign is an initiative from the partnership of the Road Safety Council, the Bermuda Police Service and the Ministry of Transport to curb the loss of life on local roads by promoting safer driving.

The crux of the campaign is to promote changes in people’s dangerous driving habits, but rule changes may also have to occur such as a ban on driving while using a cell phone and a points system for drivers with accidents so they would pay more for insurance.

The United Kingdom has already banned driving while talking on a cell phone as well as with hands-free devices and the law will be strengthened on February 27 so that those caught will get three points on their licences and will be fined $60 ($118).

The Bermuda safety campaign continues to work on a proposal for the Transportation Control Department which appears similar to that in the UK and may ban cell phone use while driving and introduce a point system to penalise accident prone motorists.

Starting immediately, however, is the “Choose Life,” campaign promoted through radio, television and print ads with the slogan: “It’s YOUR choice, choose life!”

A spokesperson at the Ministry of Public Safety and Housing said: “The Ministry wholeheartedly supports the newly unveiled “Choose Life” Campaign being spearheaded by the Bermuda Road Safety Council.

“The Ministry echoes the Road Safety Council’s message of encouraging all motorists to use common sense and “think safety first” while driving on the Island’s roads. This would certainly include curbing cell phone usage while driving.”